


The Moonlight Ball

by LapidotTrash237



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Backstory, F/F, Lapidot- freeform, Momswap, Momswap AU, Plot, Story, alternate universe - momswap, idk how to tag lol, jhgfghjkj, steven universe momswap, uhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 09:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30053151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapidotTrash237/pseuds/LapidotTrash237
Summary: The story of the night Lapis and Peridot met :)
Relationships: Lapis Lazuli & Peridot (Steven Universe), Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	The Moonlight Ball

Lapis grunted, mumbling something derogatory under her breath and shifting around uncomfortably in the poofy add-ons now tacked to her outfit, distracted from everything by the foreign feeling of shoes she'd never worn before along with anxiety welling in her chest. Her skin felt tight as she twiddled her thumbs nervously, not at all listening to whatever Rose was on about, regardless of it's importance.  
Lapis had been trusted to go on a semi-solo mission, to infiltrate the Moonlight Ball being held at Homeworld's lunar sea spire, and to keep an eye out and prepare the place for an attack from the rebellion. She hadn't wanted to, but when it came up in discussion she was elected their best shot at not being caught.  
Homeworld's big fancy parties were reserved for gems of the highest rank, mostly only those from facet 1, and sometimes their assistants, guards, and personal servants. Lapis Lazulis were considered rare and elite on Homeworld, so it was common to see them in their frilly dress outfits at these get-togethers. Lapis just happened to be the only one there close enough to elite status, despite her minor defect. So she had sucked up her fear and protests and agreed to go alone, as they didn't know if guards were permitted at the Moonlight Ball, otherwise they'd have let a stronger gem escort her.  
It had been decided weeks ago and yet Lapis still felt sick with fear now, minutes before she had to go.  
"- right, Lapis?" The ocean gems head jerked up suddenly, "Huh? Y-yeah.. sure." she stuttered out, not even sure of what her boss had said.  
"Okay! So you got this then. Let's have you head off now, we'll all be outside in a few hours. Please try to stay calm and keep everyone at ease around you." Rose gently placed her hand on Lapis' shoulder, as if to reassure her it would be okay. With one last nod in everyone else's direction, the blue gem took off in the direction of the spire.  
She began trying to calm her breathing while in the air, rationalizing. It would only be two hours, she could hold a façade until then. She'd held the form of _a_ _cat_ longer then that. She'd be fine. This whole thing would end just as planned and she would be home celebrating with everyone after.  
Or at least she hoped.

-

Homeworld's parties were so big and bright, despite being held by people who were dark and brooding constantly. Perhaps the extreme contrast was the point of them. Or maybe that was stupid, Lapis didn't know, she was just trying to think about something other then her anxiety.  
Apparently servants and such _were_ permitted at this year's ball, Lapis wished they'd have known that beforehand. Maybe that would have made this all much easier.  
She wasn't usually like this either- all skittish and afraid of her surroundings, she didn't know why a solo mission was giving her so much fear. Maybe it was the large crowd. _Yeah_.  
She stumbled over something at some point in the night, she wasn't paying attention to the things around her at all despite her best efforts to keep her head clear. The thing she had stumbled over, unfortunately, was another gem.  
"Oh! S-sorry I wasn't watching where I was going-" she stuttered, cursing herself for being such a fumbling mess over nothing the entire night. She took a step back to actually look at who she'd walked into.  
It was a Peridot- she clearly wasn't from era one though, she had limb enhancers and what appeared to be blue eyes under her visor. Not era one. If she was she'd have been exterminated for her defects.  
"It's okay, you just startled me. Don't worry about it."  
Well, thank the stars someone here wasn't completely evil.  
Lapis paused when looking up at her. She was.. kind of pretty. And that's an odd thought to have about the enemy but most Homeworld gems had more sharp appearances, scrunched up noses, judgmental eyes and constant scowls- but to be honest the Peridot looked just as anxious and uncomfortable there as her.  
Lapis awkwardly shook her head after a bit of staring, mumbling something- another apology or maybe a thank you, even she didn't really know, before she turned and walked away from the gem. She felt the lingering and confused eyes of the other following her.

-

Peridot hadn't wanted to attend the Moonlight Ball. But the quartz she was assigned to wanted to go, and as it goes on Homeworld when the elite demands they go, _they go._ Her quartz wasn't a kind gem- she was incredibly harsh, especially because there are many things Peridot couldn't do as a result of her defects. So arguing going to the ball wouldn't have ended good at all. She'd survive the party.  
She had just been ignoring everything all night- standing against a wall and awaiting the call from her quartz to signal they were leaving. That was until another gem walked directly into her- a Lapis Lazuli, a gem of elite status. But this one appeared to be panicking about something, very jittery and quick to apologize for walking into her, something she felt a high status gem wouldn't normally do, apologize to an era two, let alone a defective one. But as quickly as the interaction had started, it ended, and Peridot couldn't help but watch her disappear into the crowd of gems. An odd stranger, that one was. She sort of hoped she run into her again, perhaps she could ask her why she seemed so afraid.

-

Lapis tapped her foot, her breathing seemed to speed up, she looked around rather frantically- _where's_ _the door to the balcony?_ This night shouldn't have been so weird and terrifying. She shouldn't be lingeringly thinking about some random gem she ran into, literally.  
There- balcony door. She rushed toward it, maneuvering through the groups of actual elites. The was out the door within seconds.  
Lapis had never been so happy to breathe fresh air, despite her lack of need for oxygen.  
She shouldn't have let Rose convince her to come here. They could've sent Snowball, or Jasper, or any of the Amethysts! They could have lied and said they were escorting someone, Lapis could have been the back up if servants weren't permitted. She couldn't even _pretend_ to be an elite, these pricks were so stuck up and it just made her more nervous. She'd only been there for like an hour and it'd be another one until the rebellion stormed the place.  
"Um.. hello?" The door creaked open behind her, followed by a lightly familiar nasally voice. Lapis put on her best relaxed voice, turning to who she knew was there- the Peridot she'd met earlier. "Heyyy.. stranger." She mumbled the last part, remembering Homeworlds called each other by their facet and cuts or whatever- she couldn't just say 'Peridot'. The green gem laughed a little, "'Stranger', I like that, sure. Anyway- uhm.. I saw you walk out here, you seemed panicked? I just wanted to... see if you were alright..?" She spoke very slow, like she was at risk of Lapis attacking her while she talked. Said gem stared at her for a moment- actually asking herself if perhaps this other gem also came from the rebellion, or maybe knew she was and wanted in.  
"I'm quite alright, thank you. You're a kind one, huh? No one else here's even talked to me." She had turned completely around now, facing the stranger on the balcony. "Ah, yes. The stoic emotionless gems of Homeworld. I'm glad that someone here has looked at me without glaring daggers, honestly." The Peridot agreed with her, Lapis tilted her head. "You say that like you aren't one of them." ' _One of them', nice going Lapis,_ _you're_ _making it obvious._ The Peridot just laughed again, "Well honestly I'm lucky I am-" _so not a rebel, then_. "I was supposed to be shattered, technically, but they let me live because I was made during a shortage." Sheesh.. Homeworld really is screwed. "Hm.. well, if it means much, I think you're pretty cool, stranger." They smiled at each other for a quiet moment. "That does mean quite a bit, coming from an elite.." elite! Right, she was supposed to be an elite. Ew.  
The stranger squinted at her. "Excuse me if it's.. intrusive of me to ask, but do you have pyrite freckles?" She did, she had forgotten honestly. She doesn't look at herself a lot. She doesn't like mirrors.  
"I do.." "I've never seen a Lapis with them. They look.. nice."  
Lapis hummed, that was apparently her way of saying thank you. This gem was nice, she didn't belong here. Lapis wondered for a brief moment if Rose would be welcome to her bringing a gem home.  
Oh.. Rose. The others. They were gonna.. be here in a bit. Lapis frowned, she didn't want this kind gem to be hurt in the chaos, she didn't deserve that.  
"Um.. Lazuli? I hate to impose, and I know you are an elite, but the ball has a dance that should be beginning any moment.. do you think perhaps you'd like to join me during it?" That.. didn't actually sound that bad. "Aren't you accompanying someone?" "My quartz would hardly mind. She's been preoccupied for hours."  
And so Lapis agreed and stood, adjusting the fancy outfit she'd put on for the night, and following the Peridot back into the ball room.  
Now normally an elite and a servant being seen together wasn't abnormal, but seeing them step onto a ball room dance floor together very much was. Especially when the servant begins leading the dance.  
It was nice, really. The Peridot was a good dancer, and anything was better then sitting with her thoughts. It became less nice, though, when most of the other gems on the floor stopped dancing to observe them, and the realization that the rebellion could be there any minute set on her again. She tried not to think about it, laying her head gently on Peridot's chest as they swayed. Everything would end okay tonight. That's all she had to tell herself.

As much as Lapis hated Homeworld, she had to admit she liked their choice of music. It was very peaceful, classical sounding. It helped her ignore the lingering gaze of the others on the dance floor, that she knew was there. 

"You're pretty good at dancing, stranger." She mumbled, not opening her eyes or stopping their dance while she spoke. Peridot laughed a little under her breath, "It's a nice pastime.." Lapis hummed, she looked down at their feet, stepping in rhythm with each other. "...y'know, Peridot? You may just be the best Homeworld gem I've ever met.." Lapis mumbled. Peridot hesitated, then took a breath before resting her chin on the soft blue hair of the other gem. "Careful there.. you can make people fall in love like that.." 

They only danced for a few minutes, the growing attention affectively bothering the pair enough for them to leave the floor. They stayed walking together though, Lapis constantly glancing to the door, and Peridot anxiously hoping her quartz wasn't going to storm up to them at any moment.  
And then our dear Lazuli had a bad idea. One she knew was a bad idea, but still thought about through her pleasant talks with this Peridot. Maybe just this once, she could tell someone she was a rebel. Only in the hopes that Peridot would want to.. join her? Maybe. She thought on it for a good while, and in a random moment she pulled Peridot into a small cut off section of the sea spire.  
"Peridot, I want to tell you something. I don't know how you'll react, but I'm hoping it'll be positive. And I only think to tell you because you seem so miserable and I want to help you."  
The green gem's brows furrowed, she squinted, "Okay..? What is it, Lazuli?"  
She took a deep breath. "I'm part of the rebellion. I'm here on a mission, and any second the rest of my team is going to burst through the door and poof as many of you as possible. And I don't want that for you, because you're _good_."  
They both hesitated. Lapis looked as if she wanted to add to that, and Peridot's pupils dilated in panic as she thought.  
"Lazuli, I-"  
The sentence was cut short as a loud crash sounded from the entrance. The rebellion had arrived, and this conversation would have to continue later.  
The guards and servants began swarming to the front of the ball, the elites and other high status gems fled to the back and up the stairs of the spire to get as far from the attack as possible. Lapis heard Rose call to everyone, she heard weapons being summoned and forms being dissipated, and gems clanking against the floor. Lapis panicked in the moment and pushed open the window, grabbing Peridot by the waist and flying outside, carrying her. She flew as high as she could over the ball, stopping to hover once she got just over the cloud line.  
"You're part of the rebellion?! And you were just hanging out with me all night knowing they were gonna show up and kill me??"  
"No! Well, yes, but no! I tried to tell you, I didn't know they'd show up the second I tried to!"  
"Why would you tell me if they were gonna come and kill me anyway?"  
"I thought you'd want to come with me! To the rebellion, away from _this_!"  
"Why?!"  
Lapis thought on the answer. Peridot didn't sound angry per say, she sounded more.. confused? And afraid. Lapis had dragged her into this very quickly.  
"Because you're not like them, Peridot! You're so nice and you clearly didn't want to be here when I ran into you earlier. I figured you'd want to get away from that."  
They stared at each other for a moment.  
Peridot thought on it, this happened so quickly. She.. she didn't like Homeworld. She never did, she was treated terribly there.  
"Take me back down, please. It doesn't matter where, I'd like to be on the ground."  
Lapis nodded, beginning the descent back down. They saw soldiers retreating, from both sides. The attack was coming to an end.  
They flew behind a broken piece of spire, large enough to hide them from the crowds of other gems, Peridot's enhancers clanking onto the ground.  
"Lapis, I'll be honest- I hate it on Homeworld. I'm treated so poorly constantly, and my quartz wants me shattered for any small mistake, as I'm defective and she wants a replacement. But I have no idea what it's like to be in the rebellion- to be a traitor."  
"It's wonderful. I promise you, Peridot. No one is judged based on defects or gem type, everyone is just together and there to help break down the disgusting system that Homeworld has. You'd fit right in. _Please_."  
Peridot hesitated. She glanced back at the spire, gems fleeing from it, leaders yelling at troops, guards pushing rebels away from elites, and bubbles of all colors with gems in them disappearing into the air. She gulped.  
"I- I don't.." she looked into Lapis' eyes for a moment. She looked so desperate, helpless.  
"I can't. I can't go with you. I'm sorry, Lapis."  
Lapis looked hurt. She was conflicted on what to do, she wasn't about to poof Peridot but she also just ruined her chance of ever going undercover without getting caught. She had just compromised the rebellion. She took a deep breath.  
"I'll come back for you." She mumbled, turning quickly and joining the crowd of soldiers fleeing the spire, leaving Peridot alone behind the large piece of stone, barely hidden from the rest of the rebellion. The green gem fidgeted with her hands, waiting for the sound of the rebels running around to stop.  
She had made the right decision, or at least she thought.  
-  
And Lapis did come back for her. Multiple times over the span of years, Lapis went to find and visit Peridot.  
It was clearly wrong of Lapis, betraying the rebellion's trust and visiting a Homeworld gem. But after a while it just became a habit.  
If only they knew what they were doing.  
If only they knew what it would cause, what a mess it would become.

If only Lapis hadn't gone to that stupid ball.

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is! The story of The Moonlight Ball :)! I hope you all enjoyed, feel free to theorize about stuff based on this.   
> This fic is 100% canon to the AU.


End file.
